GWS Slow Stick Modifications

The
GWS Slow Stick® is a popular choice for aerial photography. But,
it has advantages and shortcomings.

Advantages

1.
It is inexpensive

2.
It is easy to build

3.
It lifts a lot of weight

4.
It glides nicely with power off for photo taking

5.
It can "thermal" to great height

6.
It flies very slowly, but can handle some wind

Shortcomings

1.
It is fragile

2.
The wheels are easy to break

3.
The stick fuselage is easy to bend

4.
The wings can flutter badly in a fast dive

5.
Under full power, the plane climbs too quickly and it
spirals left

Wing

The
kit comes with aluminum tubes bent in a slight "vee" for the front and
rear of the wing centre. These tubes should be replaced by similar
diameter brass tubes that are elongated about an inch on either side.

There
are fibreglass rods that fit into the brass tubes to strengthen the leading
edge and trailing edge of the wing. These rods should be fitted into
the brass tubes and the whole assembly epoxied into place BEFORE the clear
tape is applied to complete the installation. This will greatly increase
the rigidity of the wing and reduce flutter if the plane is dived too quickly.

Tip:
A high speed dive can be avoided by simply pulling back all the way on
the elevator and applying right or left rudder. This will cause the
plane to lose altitude without picking up speed. Be aware that with
other aircraft this manoevre can result in a very nasty spin that might
result in a crash. When in trouble, neutralize the controls.
The plane knows how to fly better than you do !

Wheels

The kit wheels are not very useful in the field. It is better
to replace them with any number of lightweight wheels that are used in
other park flyers.

If you don't want to replace the wheels, then at least boil them
to reduce their brittleness. In a salt-water solution, boil them
for 15 minutes at a low boil. Suspend the wheels in a metal strainer
to keep the plastic off the bottom of the hot pot.

Fuselage

The thin aluminum box girder can easily
be bent on a rough landing. The easiest and lightest way to strengthen
it is to stuff the whole length with balsa. This adds tremendous
strength at minimum weight penalty.

Tendency to Zoom and Spiral Left Under
Power

The Slow Stick is optimized for slow
flight under low power. It tends to zoom and spiral left dramatically
if full power is applied. This tendency can be overcome by:

1. Modifying the motor
attachment so that the motor points to the right and down. To do
this, take a piece of fairly hard wood and shape it so that the butt end
will go straight into the aluminum fuselage tube, while the front half
goes into the motor bracket with a right and down attitude. Test
fly and if the plane still zooms;

2. Shim up the
trailing edge. Simply insert small pieces of balsa sheet under the
rear wing saddle until the plane flies more normally. You will have
to experiment to get the correct amount.

Alternate Way to Modify the Motor
Mount

The easiest way to modify the thrust
angle on slow stick motor mount is with a Bic Lighter!! Apply flame
to heat up the plastic and "stretch" the motor mount to aim thustline down
and right. Then epoxy motor mount to aluminum fuselage.

Quick, easy and sure. [Credit:
Jonathan L.]

The Uncle Mikey Motor Mod

The stock GWS motor runs backwards, thereby
reducing its full power potential. "Uncle Mikey" has perfected a modification
as per:

The Uncle Mikey mod reverses the motor. The motor is then secured
on top of the aluminum box spar of the fuselage to give the gears enough
room. The stock GWS prop is also shaved down to clear the front of
the motor. The mod takes about an hour to complete.

Tip

Your Electronic Speed Controller (ESC)
can heat up under sustained current draw. If you secure it so that
it is directly on the aluminum fuselage, then the aluminum will act as
a great heat sink and pull the heat away.

Camera and C of G

You might have to make fairly dramatic changes in the placement of
the major components if you hang a camera from the Slow Stick to join the
increasingly popular digital aerial photography group. Some move
the battery pack forward in front of the landing gear and put the
servos way back almost behind the wing. That tends to open up some
space so that a heavier digital camera can be slung under the wing close
to the C of G. The great thing about the Slow Stick is that it is
very flexible. [Credit: Sam H.]